E-liquid review: Balkan (Naturally Extracted Tobacco) 60 ml – received by the manufacturer
Batch: n.a.
Nico: 3 mg/ml
Declared base: 50 PG / 50 VG
Expiry date: n.a.
Devices: Eleaf iKuun i80 + Vandy Vape Berseker RTA single coil (Kanthal A1 0.32 mm 28 awg) 1.0 ohm with Japanese organic Puff cotton.
Final frontier Space. These are the trips of the Intersvapal ship The Flavourist in search of new tasting styles and new aromatic worlds.
From the logbook of Captain Joker, vaping year 11.17.0.40awg26. We set a 1.10 ohm curve cruising speed and crossed the “Tobacco” galaxy. The galaxy looks like a dense nebula of synthetic tobacco planets. After more than 3 years sailing through it, the nebula is now clearing, allowing us to spot the planet N.E.T that, on our scientific evidence, should be the main source – and we believe inexhaustible – of vape tobacco extracts.
We decided to land on N.E.T. to discover from close up its liquid creations and better understand its deeper secrets.
Although extravagant and fascinating could be a story in Star Trek style, actually and fortunately – I add – Naturally Extracted Tobacco LLC is headquartered in Cedar Rapids in the state of Iowa and since 2013 deals with natural tobacco extracts. The Cedar Rapids guys enjoy an unparalleled primacy: they were probably among the first ever to offer real tobacco e-liquids and, most importantly, they are still the world’s largest producer of natural tobacco extracts, with an amazing offer and variety of products, ranging from ready e-liquids to aromas. It’s not hard to believe that the company may be the main supplier of many international e-liquids brands.
The Flavourist will proudly introduce you for the first time in Europe to some of their creations.
Today we are dealing with Balkan:
An aromatic Balkan-style pipe tobacco comprised of Macedonia and Virginia leaves expertly blended with Latakia for a bold, unique tasting vape.
The bottle in my possession is a 60 ml amber glass with childproof cap and eye dropper tip. The product label appears as a typical homemade label and contains information such as business logo, liquid name, extraction type, VPG ratio, nicotine content, mixing date and single warning: keep out of the reach of children. This product obviously is not TPD compliant.
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The olfactory test strikes me positively for the strong nature of the product. An intense smell immediately catches my nostrils. The woody and dark notes recreates the feeling of being in front of a roaring fire. The great smell of a wood burning fireplace. The composition stated by the manufacturer combined with the olfactory test let my mind fly to one of the greatest names in the tobacco world: Balkan Sobranie.
Balkan Sobranie is a legendary tobacco, a revolutionary symbol of a new way of understanding pipe smoking. With Yenidje and Latakia tobacco as main players in english blends, pipe smoking acquires an absolutely new aromatic boost.
Balkan by N.E.T. offers a vigorous and realistic pipe vaping. The puff is full, intense, and dark. In the blend dominate the Latakia smoky, rough, uncompromising features and yet there is a background sweetness that gives balance and roundness to the entire bouquet.
At every puff a fresh genuineness emerges and intensifies the perception of good quality and tastiness of this e-liquid. Just as we can all agree, that homemade grandmother’s pie tastes infinitely better than the same pie bought in the supermarket, in this case the homemade product feeling is a plus we rarely found in this type of product.
Latakia’s masculine and dominant force does not prevent fresher and softer tail notes to reveal and which are peculiar for the typical Virginia tobacco; its unmistakable sweet and herbal touch harmonizes the blend.
The most aromatic nuances of this blend are somewhat weak and hidden by the strong smoking of Latakia. In fact Oriental, that should be part of the mixture, is barely perceived and just as little aromatic appears Latakia itself. This affect also the aromatic persistence, which is relatively short. In my personal opinion this little defect is also due to the hot extraction used for this tobacco extract. This extraction technique, while ensuring strength and full body to the mix, it also causes an aromatic flattening and greatly reduce the life of coils.
The first exploration of the planet N.E.T. made us discover a product with warm and enveloping tones. A well-made, genuine and vigorous tobacco extract that is very similar to some of our national products, art in which, let me tell you, I can affirm having tasted various tobacco extracts, we are indisputably masters. Balkan is a credible and valid interpretation of the Balkan Sobranie Mixture so dear to our grandparents.
Intense and meditative, the planet N.E.T. seems to be a new little paradise.
Pro: An genuine intense and smoky blend. A must for strong tobacco lovers.
Cons: Limited and undertone the aromatic facets of its components.
